interLUDE: Quest of Rings
by THE Xenomorph
Summary: While the Maximals searched for pods, the Planeteers and Misfits were looking for the lost power of the rings, while Mati and Larry help each other understand some disturbing visions.
1. The Quest Begins

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**The Quest Begins**_

At the time the Maximals were recovering the Stasis Pods, the Planeteers were sitting around their kitchen table while Ma-Ti sat off in a corner with their newest guest, the chimera mutate named Kezqua. The youngest Planeteer sat patiently while Kezqua shared what stories he had of knowing Ma-Ti's parents. The other Planeteers, however, where trying to figure out how to regain the power of their rings on their own. Since the events on Isla Sorna, Hope Island was practically deserted except for the Planeteers and Kezqua. Gaia had vanished, the crystal monitors had vanished and the Planeteers had to call in the GI Joes to help supply them with environmentally friendly generators.

"AHHHHHHH!" Wheeler screeched in annoyance. "Why are we just waiting around?"

"Wheeler we cannot just rush into this problem without knowing what it is." Kwame sighed.

"ARGH!" Wheeler slammed his fist into the table. "You think I don't know that? I just... I can't sit here and do nothing!"

"Well then how about we help you come up with an idea, yo?" Toad smiled as he and the Misfits walked in.

"Oh, great what are you lunatics doing here?" Wheeler groaned.

"Let's just say we like to keep everything in the same category." Larry said as Lina followed him in.

"We got some good news too." Fred said. "Your eco-terrorists have broken rings too, well except for what's her name."

"Blight?" Gi scoffed. "Figures."

"Anyway we thought we'd come over and offer you guys some help." Pietro smiled devilishly.

"We still have no clue as to how we should proceed." Kwame said.

"Well, you could start by going in search of those symbols on Ma-Ti's ring." Arcade said.

"Hey..." Wheeler blinked. "That's not a bad idea."

"Yes it is." Kwame agreed. "We should start researching immediately."

"Done." Arcade smiled as he pulled his laptop from his pack. "The fire symbol was the easiest, it's actually a symbol the Freemason Society."

"New York and home again." Wheeler smiled. "Right?"

"Nope, Boston." Arcade spun the screen of his laptop around.

"Show off." Gi chuckled.

"It's new." Arcade was definitely happy. "Aaaaanyway, Spaz and I decided we could help you there, Pietro's coming along because no one else would work with him."

"Ha!" Wheeler laughed then realized he was stuck with him. "Oh man..."

"Hey!" Pietro snapped. "That's not true."

"And Pyro's coming... well because Pyro knows fire." Arcade admitted.

"And Freemasonry traditions." Pyro said cheerfully.

"Oh this is going to be fun..." Wheeler groaned.

"And Kwame," Arcade continued, "Symbols like your earth one have been found in the Machu Picchu ruins. Lance, Wanda and Fred volunteered to go with you."

"Excellent, hopefully those ruins will hold some clues." Kwame smiled.

"Gi, we found some of those water symbols just off the Mediterranean coast." Arcade brought up a map on his screen. "Althea and Xi will be going with you."

"Let me guess, I get to go with the lunatic cartoon boy." Linka groaned

"Yup, me and Lina too." Toad smiled.

Linka said something in Russian under her breath that everyone understood as a silent curse.

"Other than that nothing much to go on." Arcade said.

"We can go whenever you're ready." Althea smiled, ready for adventure.

As the Planeteers breathed deep, unsure of what to do a voice as clear as crystal spoke from nowhere. "Reclaim what is needed, reclaim hope."

"Gaia?" Wheeler looked around and the island began to shake and tremble.

"What on earth?" Kwame gasped as the huts were ripped apart by gigantic crystals.

Soon the crystals collided and melted into each other forming rudimentary buildings. Then as everyone looked on in awe the five symbols of the Planeteers carved themselves into an arch, each symbol brought about by a flurry of their element. Heart though simply appeared, darkened and painful to look at.

"It represents the unity of people." Ma-ti sighed as he and Kezqua walked up. "You should see the Geo Cruiser."

"Wha?" Wheeler looked at the new crystal caves in confusion as did the others.

"Awe inspiring, ain't it?" Kezqua smiled. "You guys get going Ma-ti and I will keep an eye on the island."

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Soon after everyone left Ma-ti and Kezqua founf that they had one more visitor. Larry had come by with Spirit and Roadblock.

"They came by to help, right?" Spirit asked.

"Yeah, but they didn't cause this." Kezqua pointed to the wreckage of the former houses.

"Hmmm..." Roadblock took a gaze at the wreckage. "Well it's nothing to bark about, it sure doesn't carry their mark."

"He's rhyming." Kezqua blinked in confusion and looked to Ma-ti. "This the guy you told me about?"

"Yup, Roadblock, meet Kezqua. Kezqua meet Roadblock." Ma-ti chuckled.

"Hey Ma-ti, could you show me around a bit?" Larry asked, "I didn't get to see much last time."

"Ok." Ma-ti said as he guided Larry in his chair.

"Ma-ti makes fast friends, a power that truly transcends." Roadblock smiled.

"Don't make me hurt you." Kezqua growled.

"Oh don't worry you'll get used to it, if not we have a wonderful padded cell in the Pit." Spirit smiled.

"It's contagious..." Kezqua grumbled.

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"Ma-ti." Larry spoke up during the tour.

"Yes?" Ma-ti stopped the tour, something in Larry's voice told him it was important.

"I need your help." Larry said. "I've been having these horrible visions, each more terrifying than the next, but they all contradict each other, except on one point..."

"What point?" Ma-ti asked.

"I really shouldn't tell you, but you're the only one who can help me see if it's a real vision or just... something that's likely to happen if we don't do something." Larry sighed.

"Well what is it?" Ma-ti asked. 

A silence pervaded before Larry spoke up, "I keep seeing Jean with enormous power and a fire bird surrounding her, then I see her destroying the Heartless, but after that she... she helps them."

"What?" Ma-ti gasped in disbelief. "I don't believe it."

"Neither do I, that's why I need the help of your ring, to explore the visions." Larry said, a trace of fear laced his voice. "There's something else."

"What could possibly be worse?" Ma-ti gasped.

"You keep trying to use your ring to bring her back..." Larry locked eyes with Ma-ti. "Each time, you die."

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**AN:**** I apologize for the insane wait, but I've been drained dry of any ideas for anything until recently. College had burned out my brain, but right now I'm taking half-a year off to rest so expect more stuff soon, especially since this chapter was the biggest hurdle in writing this story.**

**Anyway, reviews welcome, no flames.**


	2. Burning Rage Element of Fire

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

**Burning Rage; Element of Fire**

"This is insane..." Wheeler coughed as he and Pyro dug into an old Freemasonry crypt.

"I can't help it if this is where everything points too." Arcade said as he began to jot down the symbols on the crypt. "You know I think this may be some sort of code..."

"Well what does it say?" Pietro asked as he dusted his legs off.

"I'm not sure." Arcade said, "Cypher would be better at this than I am."

"Well..." Pietro pulled out his cell phone and shrieked when he saw it couldn't get a signal.

"Oi, don't shriek like that, you could collapse this entire place on us." Pyro snapped. "I jus' don't like this place."

"Yeah, I know what..." Just then the wall collapsed and revealed a large room decorated with an odd ceremonial sense. "You mean." Wheeler finished

"_Walk forward, he who would command my flame." _A deep and ominous voice echoed throughout. _"Walk forward and meet your destiny Wheeler Sloane." _

For a few seconds the groups stood stone cold frozen in fear.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Pietro asked.

"A friendly push would be nice..." Wheeler's voice cracked.

"Okay." Pyro shoved Wheeler in with both hands.

As soon as Wheeler entered the crypt a wall of solid red fire rushed to close the hole. Wheeler coughed lightly as he stood up and looked around. Around the crypt where five torches, each one a color that could be identified to one of the elements and pure white one. Of the ones that were colored a tall red flame burned in a hanging torch above a pedestal, on it was a shining golden ring.

Wheeler gasped as he saw the ring. "Guys, I see another ring in here.", he shouted through the fire, but no response came.

"_What fuels you?" _The disembodied voice asked.

"What?" Wheeler spun around looking for the voice.

"_What fuels your fire, what fuels your rage, your passion and burning desire."_ The voice boomed with hisses and explosions as if it were speaking from within fire itself.

"Whose there?" Wheeler spun around again in panic.

"_I yearn for your answer, he who would command fire." _ The voice again boomed throughout.

"I don't know, I'm a hot head! Whatever pisses me off at the time!" Wheeler shouted.

"_You rage mindlessly like the fire you seek to control?"_ The voice laughed. _"You are no better than the ones who came before you. You will fail. Take the ring if you can, boy." _

The voice was silent, and Wheeler took a deep breath before he continued on up to the pedestal. As he neared the ring he saw the symbols on it were similar to the ones on Ma-ti's new ring, only aligned in a different order. The flame was in the center with the other elements pointing in the cardinal directions.

"_Earth, Wind, Water and Heart. Fire is this ring's focus."_ The voice boomed once more. _"Do you still think yourself worthy?"_

"Worthy of what?" Wheeler asked before he shook his head. "You know what, I don't care. I don't want this ring, I need it to help my friends. To help this world!"

"_What fuels your rage?"_ This time the voice came from behind him. Wheeler spun around to see a towering golem completely composed of flames. . _"I repeat, what fuels your rage?"_

"I told, I don't know!" Wheeler shouted.

The golem simply stared at Wheeler. _"Then you and your friends shall be purged of this realm." _

"What?!" Wheeler yelped as the golem materialized Pietro, Arcade and Pyro, the three of them bound by a flaming rope that immediately consumed their unconscious bodies. "NO!"

Wheeler collapsed as he tried to reach for his friends, but they vanished in a flash of smoke. He couldn't move after that, the shock of the loss of his friends was to great. Soon though, he felt it, his anger was rising and he could not, would not stop it.

"You monster." Wheeler's voice was ragged. "They had nothing to do with this, they didn't want the ring!"

"_In my realm they stood, in my realm they died." _The golem stood. _"And now so shall you." _The golem created a vortex of flame and aimed it at Wheeler.

"You want to know what fuels my rage?" Wheeler growled.

"_You do not know."_ The golem said unemotionally.

"Injustice..." Wheeler squeaked out as he felt his own rage boil to a front.

"_You bring forth the guardian."_ The golem spoke. _"You rage upon the injustices of the weak, fight for those who cannot fight for themselves..." _

"Not that it matters now..." Wheeler growled.

"_You have passed." _The golem spoke. _"Gaia chose wisely, and now my power is added to the ring. Call upon when you have need by name of Agni." _

Wheeler collapsed in confusion as his eyes grew heavy, and the old broken ring on his finger all at once slipped off and was replaced by the new golden one. Then he awoke with a start and looked around, the crypt was now empty and rocks covered where he had entered, they were soon parted to reveal Pyro's smiling face.

"You guys are alive?" Wheeler asked in shock.

"Uh..." Arcade looked at Wheeler with an odd look. "Yeah..."

"It must have..." Wheeler looked down at his hand where the golden ring now perched itself, as a mighty symbol to the lesson he had learned about himself. "Been a dream."

"Well, let's find out if we got a ring in here or not." Pietro pushed his way through.

"No need." Wheeler smiled. "I already have it, I always have."

"Eh?" Pietro blinked.

"I knew you wouldn't get it." Wheeler smiled.

"Hey..." Pyro walked up to Wheeler, "Sorry about the push..."

"Don't worry." Wheeler smiled. "It kinda helped actually."

"Being unconscious during a cave-in helped?" Arcade asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it kinda did." Wheeler smiled, "Anyway let's get going."

"Ok..." Pietro said with a confused look. "Oh, Arcade translated the code."

"Really, what did it say?" Wheeler asked.

"May justice fuel your heart's rage." Arcade said. "Weird, huh?"

"Not really." Wheeler smiled as he exited.

"Oooookayyy..." Pietro blinked, "Does anyone know what just happened?"

The others just shrugged.


	3. Burning Intolerance

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Burning Intolerance**_

"What the?" Pietro gawked as he and the others followed Wheeler out of the crypt. The scene that was so shocking was a riot that seemed to be lead by the FOH.

"LOOK! IT'S THE GOVERNMENT MUTIES!" A FOH member shouted. "And two traitors!"

The group swarmed away from a house that had been previously been their target. As soon as they left it Wheeler could see two small faces come to the window, both covered in sparse red fur. Once again Wheeler felt the fire inside grow.

"Oh man, we better run." Pietro gulped.

"No." Wheeler gritted.

"What?" Pietro shrieked.

"Those kids will be their targets again if we leave." Wheeler said.

"He's right." Arcade frowned. "I'll get inside and contact the Joes."

"Get going then." Pyro smiled, "We'll keep'em busy, right Mr. Match?"

"Right." Wheeler turned to smile at Pyro, expecting to work as a team with him, only to see Pyro talking to a matchbook. "Ugh, I should have known."

"Yes, you should have..." Pietro said, "But I can't help but notice we're surrounded now!"

Sure enough as soon as Arcade broke away they were completely surrounded by the angry mob. Shouts and slurs filled the air, some aimed at Wheeler, but most were aimed at Pietro and Pyro. The three quickly found themselves back to back as the crowd closed in.

"You know Pietro, I always wondered if your sister's protection ever extended to you..." Pyro gulped as his matches blew out from the crowd of people yelling.

"Only sometimes..." Pietro gulped. "I don't think this is one."

Then someone threw a brick and hit Pyro in the nose. He crumpled to the ground and only Pietro's reflexes kept him from being descended on by the angry mob.

"Ok, THAT IS IT!" Wheeler fully grasped his rage and aimed his ring to the air. "ARISE..." A beam of read light shot twenty feet in to the air and condensed into a solid form. "AGNI!" The form crystallized into a flaming female with several swords sheathed to her back. For few seconds the crowd froze and their eyes were diverted up.

"Whose the fire girl?" Pyro perked up through his bloody nose.

"That's what I'd like to know." Wheeler said, slightly confused.

"_Injustice..."_ Agni spoke, it's voice a feminine but familiar tone to Wheeler. _"BEGONE!"_ The flaming Agni dove towards the crowd which immediately dispersed and ran off in fear.

Soon after the crowd ran off Pyro and Pietro were busy ogling the flaming woman, each for their own reason. While Wheeler had some serious questions for it. However, before Wheeler could even ask a question a loud clapping came from down the street and Wheeler paled when he saw who it was.

"Nice..." Duke Nukem was wearing his ring and it was glowing. "I guess when you get yours back, we get ours back. I figured as much." Wheeler however was not worried about the ring, instead his was terrified of the even more mutated Duke Nukem. He no longer looked like a living rock, instead he looked like a smaller, yellow and orange haired Hulk. "Oh, like the new look? A new friend whipped up a partial cure to my mutation, it gets rid of the worst parts but keeps the parts I like."

"You have got to be kidding me." Pietro blinked. "He's STILL a walking copyright infringement!"

"Shut it squeaker!" Duke bellowed. "I'm DUKE-FREAKING-NUKEM, THEY'RE THE INFRINGEMENTS!"

"YOUR NAME IS AN INFRINGEMENT!" Arcade yelled from the house.

"Shut up!" Duke shouted and aimed his ring at the house. "GAMMA RADITION!" A concentrated blast of energy flew at the house only to be stopped by a solid red wall of flame that came straight from Wheeler's ring.

"I am really getting sick of you and your bullying..." Wheeler growled. "Agni..."

The flaming form wasted no time and returned to the ring and the wall of flame changed to flaming pillar that quickly returned to the ring. Duke merely shot an odd glance to Wheeler who had a confident smile as he held his ring to his side.

"Oh, I get it..." Duke smiled. "On three."

"One..." Wheeler smiled.

"Two..." Duke smiled in return.

"Three!" Wheeler shouted.

"GAMMA RADIATION!" Duke aimed and fired the destructive beam at Wheeler.

"AGNI RELEASE!" Wheeler shouted, this time the flaming form that came from Wheeler's ring was a giant red dragon that flew through and dispersed the gamma radiation right before slamming into Duke Nukem and sending him flying into the distance like a cartoon character.

"What the?" Pyro blinked. "What happened to the fire girl?"

"Now I get it..." Pietro snapped his fingers. "It responds to your need when you release it, but it has to return and concentrate it's power to take another form."

"Hey guys, they're sending a chopper for us..." Arcade called from the house. "You guys want some Kool-Aid?"

"Sounds good to me." Wheeler smiled.

"Is it fire flavored?" Pyro asked as he pinched his nose.

"Fire flavored?" Pietro blinked.

"Isn't that what red is?" Pyro asked.

"My head hurts..." Pietro groaned.

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Back at Hope Island Ma-ti and Larry were deep inside one of Larry's visions.

"Who are all these people?" Ma-ti asked.

"People who heard Perfection's plea for help, they weren't even directly asked, they just heard... and came." Larry said. "That one's name is Bucky O'Hare, he's General Jack O'Niel and I think that one is called Lion-O."

"I hope they'll make it through..." Ma-ti sighed.

"Here it comes." Larry said as the vision resumed from it's previous pause.

The world swirled in fantastic heat and soon Jean ascended above everyone with a black flaming pheonix surrounding her. At the base Ma-ti could see himself pleading with the psychic and eventually he saw the flash of his ring, and seconds later his body burst into flames.

"I don't know how to interpret this." Ma-ti admitted. "For anything to have that much power..."

"I know, it's frightening." Larry agreed.

"Who is that?" Ma-ti asked as he nodded to a young man in odd black clothing, with almost clown like shoes and light brown hair. He had an odd key-shaped weapon and another boy fought by his side. The other boy also had a key shaped weapon, but it was more intimidating and seemed to contrast his platinum white hair.

"I don't know, but they seem important." Larry admitted, "And they seem to be trying to stop you too..."

Ma-ti absentmindedly ran his hands down the side of the weapon. He thought it was funny that the young man wielded it like a blade, yet it was perfectly blunt. Then it occurred to Ma-ti that nothing in the vision should have substance and he looked up into the eyes of the young man.

"Hi!" The voice said before the vision fell away and Larry and Ma-ti found themselves back in Ma-ti's new room.

"I think we need to tell someone..." Larry admitted, Splinter has no clue, neither do the Joes."

"Let's try Kezqua, he's pretty good with visions." Ma-ti said.

"He'll freak out if he knows." Larry advised. "We need a more neutral party."

"Can't go to Wraith..." Ma-ti said. "And Spaz is with Wheeler."

"Actually he got stuck back at the club." Larry said. "Something about giant killer pizza monsters, the turtles were helping him."

"Then maybe we should talk to him." Ma-ti said.

"He's our best bet." Larry admitted.

As the two teens left out the door a voice echoed. "Don't worry, we will find a way or my name isn't Sora!"


	4. Namor

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Namor**_

"So..." Scott Summers looked around, slightly confused. "How did we get yanked into this one again?"

"Gi asked us to help and I said yes." Jean Grey said. "Come on Scott, she's a friend who needs our help."

"I'm just glad we only have to deal with Althea and Xi, at least they can be somewhat tame..." Scott smiled, at that exact moment Xi, Althea and Gi all ran to the edge of the boat they were on and dove into the sea with yelps of delight; unfortunately they dove off at just the right area to splash Scott, and leave Jean bone dry. "Someone must really dislike me..."

Somewhere in another universe a struggling writer smiled.

"Did you hear that?" Scott asked.

"What?" Jean gave her boyfriend an odd look.

"Nothing, nevermind." Scott said nervously.

"Come on in guys!" Gi called from the water, "It's perfect for a swim!"

"Yeah, come on!" Althea smiled.

"We have to get the rebreather's first." Jean said as she brought out several large tanks for everyone except Althea.

"You guys seriously need gills." Althea laughed.

"No thanks." Jean said as she tossed Xi and Gi their rebreathers and handed Scott his own.

"This is going to end bad for us, you know that right." Scott said with a sigh.

"Why does Scott sound like he is imitating Marvin the Depressed Android?" Xi asked.

"It's the other way around Xi; Marvin's doing impressions of Scott." Althea giggled.

"Ha, ha, ha." Scott mocked as he jumped into the water. Jean soon followed.

"How deep are we going down?" Gi asked.

"Not to deep." Althea reassured everyone. "Arcade said the ruins would be pretty close to the surface and very obvious. I'll go down first, Xi you follow me, Gi follows Xi and so on and so on. Try not to lag behind."

Soon the five of them found themselves swimming amongst the ocean bed of a shallow drop off. Soon they also found a rather large and distorted building. It looked as if Pablo Picasso had sneezed the building onto a canvas of real life, however that was do to it's very poor condition. For a while the group looked over the ruins searching for an entrance, but they found none. The group met back the what they all assumed was the building's entrance once more before deciding to head up. When they got to the boat Gi was deeply disappointed.

"Hey, how'd you kids do?" Captain Ron, a friend who was piloting the boat popped over the railing as they came up.

"Rotten." Gi said as she pulled herself up from the sea and quickly made her way inwards to the small yacht's shower.

"Geez, what crawled up her swimsuit and died?" Captain Ron asked.

"We found the symbols, but there's no entrance..." Althea said. "We'll have to try again tomorrow."

"Ah, then I guess telling her that the Wheeler kid got his ring working wouldn't be the best idea, huh?" Captain Ron asked.

Later that evening, after eating a small fraction of her meal and simply retiring to her bunk, Gi could not help but feel as if she were completely useless. Only a few times had her power actually been able to do something other than revive Captain Planet, and of those time they were minimally useful and could have been accomplished better by fire or wind. Gi felt horrible, and she could not shake the feeling that she did not deserve the ring of water because of that feeling. As she was feeling at her worst though the small chirps of Shu garnered her attention. The small compy was busy chewing on some clams that Captain Ron had tossed him during dinner.

"Hey Shu, how you feeling?" Gi reached out her hand to pet the compy, but it dropped it's food and skittered under the bunk.

Gi quickly jerked her head to the porthole where an almost elven looking man now stood. He narrowed his eyes as he looked through the window, and Gi could clearly see he was motioning for to go to the deck. Gi almost leapt out of bed and for some reason she grabbed her broken ring then she made her way to the deck. The others were on deck as well as the sun began to set.

"What are you doing here?" The almost elven man said.

"We're searching for a way to fix Gi's ring." Althea snapped.

"Althea, let's not be so hostile towards the nice mer-people with pointy tridents." Scott gulped as another, more armored looking almost elven man pointed a trident at Scott's neck.

"Hey..." Captain Ron came stumbling out from his quarters and eyed the lead man with an annoyed look. "What the hell are you doin' out here Namor?"

"Namor?" Scott asked. "The Sub-Mariner?"

"Indeed." Namor bowed, "And King of Atlantis."

"Who has a lord who my mom ran off with." Althea added.

"Must I always be held accountable for that?" Namor sighed.

"No, you just woke up during a really nice dream so I'm a bit ticked." Althea glared at Namor.

"Then I apologize my dear." Namor smiled. "As for you young lady..." Namor turned to Gi. "You seek to restore Gaia's gift, yes?"

"Y-yes." Gi stammered.

"Hmmm..." Namor frowned. "I can take you into the temple, and I can show you to where your trial awaits, but I can help you no further."

"Whoa..." Captain Ron looked like a five ounce shot glass had hit him in the head. "You're helping some one from the surface?"

"That is amazing." Althea joined in the surprised look.

"If Gaia chose her originally who am I to argue?" Namor smiled, "Besides I want to see if she fails or not."

"Ok that makes more sense." Althea sighed in relief.

"How kind of you." Jean frowned at Namor.

"If anything I am a gracious host." Namor smiled and spoke to his men who quickly left back into the ocean. "Young lady, if you will prepare..."

Gi wasted no time as she bolted back to her bunk and grabbed her rebreather after jumping into her swimsuit. Then she ran back out onto the deck and dove in without hesitation.

"Shes... eager." Namor blinked from the deck of the yacht.

"She's been driving herself crazy trying to get her ring back." Althea said. "You hurt her, remember what I can do..." Althea gave the sweetest evil smile she could. Namor paled and then dove into the water.


	5. Leviathan

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Leviathan**_

Gi surfaced in the temple, she had no clue how she had even gotten there and yet Namor was helping her on to the solid ground of the temple. He quietly led her to a large stone door.

"Beyond this door is a perilous look into yourself." Namor looked at Gi. "Are you ready?"

"No time like the present." Gi smiled nervously.

Namor pressed a button on the side, it was strangely shaped and almost looked like a half crystallized water drop. "Then enter."

Gi entered the room and as she got to the center she snapped her head back, at that exact moment the stone door slammed shut and the world melted around her as she slipped into darkness. When she came to Gi found herself in a large cylinder like area on the bottom of the ocean. No fish swam into the area and at four points in the circle like area there were four torches lit. Three of the torches barely burned while two of them were to bright to look at. Gi knew what they were, each one represented a different ring and hers was the closest to going out.

"I knew I was useless." Gi sighed. A sudden movement outside the cylinder caught her attention and then she gasped.

In front of Gi was the largest shark she had ever seen. It was larger than what the Megalodon would have been, she could only estimate it's size at one hundred feet long. She could almost see her end in it's solid eyes.

"_I am Leviathan."_ A voice spoke in her head. _"You blood runs cold at the sight of me mortal. Do you fear me or do you respect me?" _

Gi looked around for the voice and turned her back to the shark.

"_Behind you little one."_ Leviathan said. _"I am the beast of the deep, challenged only by Kraken. Now please answer my question." _

Gi stared in shock, she was actually communicating with a shark through telepathy. "I... both." Gi admitted, she new better than to lie to a myth.

"_You have nothing to fear from me little one." _Leviathan said as it pushed it's way into the cylinder ans Gi could clearly see it's shape compress and contort to the familiar shape of Althea and then grow once more to a large water serpent. _"I cannot take the familiar form to best make you comfortable, for she is bound to a powerful entity." _

"OK..." Gi stared in shock as the large serpent craned it's head down to Gi's face.

"_What else do you fear?" _Leviathan asked.

"Alot." Gi said, "Just like everyone else."

"_You fear loosing your power." _Leviathan stated it rather than asked.

"A little..." Gi said hesitantly. "Ok, a lot."

"_Why fear it, you would be free of the pain that is bound to it's responsibility." _Leviathan said calmly.

"I would..." Gi admitted, but quickly shook her head. "But who would help my friends?"

"_Does it matter?" _Leviathan asked.

"Of course it does, I don't want to leave my friends like that!" Gi snapped and frowned, Leviathan was beginning to make her angry.

"_What if I promised you riches and gold, would you leave then?" _Leviathan asked.

"No!" Gi shouted.

"_What about your absolute happiness?" _Leviathan asked.

Gi froze. Happiness. She hadn't been happy for a while, the whole chaos spark episode had really stressed her out and now she couldn't help but feel useless. But Leviathan was telling her he could change that. He was offering something she hadn't had in while. "Happiness?"

"_Happiness. I could give you the ocean at Namor's side as his queen." _Leviathan touched the edges of the area with it's tail and the walls of water shimmered to show Gi as the Queen of Atlantis.

Gi was astonished, and she touched the wall to feel it, then her thoughts went to her friends and the wall became black as night. Yellow eyes peered through and back claws and feet came crawling from the darkness. She gasped in fear and back pedaled to Leviathan.

"Heartless!" Gi shouted. "The heartless will kill my friends?"

"_But you would be happy." _Leviathan said coldly.

"HAPPY? How could I possibly be happy if I let my friends die for my happiness?" Gi shouted at the giant serpent this time.

"_What do you care, you are useless anyway." _Leviathan shot back.

"Then how come my friends die with out me?" Gi shot back.

"_You could die with them if you wanted. Would that make you happy?" _Leviathan asked.

Gi looked at the walls, the heartless were gone and it was water once more. She looked on questioningly, and before Leviathan could speak again she looked the serpent directly in the eye with the look of a determined warrior. "Yes."

"_Then you shall die here!" _Leviathan rumbled and it shifted it's shape once more the that of the Kraken and left the cylinder. As soon as he left though the water began to collapse inwards and almost immediately Gi was left in the ocean drowning with little hope. Kraken then appeared once more. _"Take my offer and I shall spare you!" _

Gi violently shook her head in anger and tried to claw at the beast with her remaining breath. Then from no where a great white form came plowing into the Kraken and and air formed around Gi. The air quickly formed a bubble and she could clearly see a great white whale with spears sticking out from it's hide chomping on the Kraken. Gi sat in the air bubble for a while before the whale came back and stared at her.

"_The Kraken stood no chance against your loyalty." _Gi recognized the voice in her head as belonging to the whale. _"I am servant to great Poseidon. I am the true Leviathan and you Gi, have passed great Gaia's test." _

"Where is she?" Gi asked.

"_Where is she, child, look around you and feel her everywhere. Gaia surrounds us and loves us."_ Leviathan said with a well entertained chuckle._ "Now child, rest and awake with your power restored and strengthened. Your ring too shall be restored and made stronger."_

Gi tried to speak, but she quickly fell into a deep slumber once more. Then all at once she was coughing up water on the yacht. She looked up in shock as her friends surrounded her.

"What..." Gi asked.

"You almost drowned when the stone door collapsed." Namor said. "I barely got you out of there in time."

"Yeah, he's lucky like that." Althea shot a glare at Namor, who cringed back in slight fear.

"But... Leviathan... Kraken..." Gi shot up. "I was..." She loked down at her hand. The ring was restored with a cool blue tint and she could not identify the metal, but it was light and cool. The symbol upon it was also the same as the button Namor had pushed.

"By the gods!" Namor gasped. "She is chosen." Namor bowed to Gi. "Forgive me for doubting you milady." Namor gasped.

"It's... it's all right." Gi glanced at the Sub-Mariner. "I had more doubts than you I bet."

"Ah, that's only human." Captain Ron said as he came out chugging a beer can and then crushed it's empty form against his skull. "Let's get back to Hope Island, eh."

"Lady Gi." Namor rose. "You and your friends shall all be welcome to Atlantis at any time."

"Thank you." Gi smiled and went back to her room.

A few minutes later Althea came back to talk to her. "Wheeler said he was tested, I'm guessing you were too."

"Yeah, my loyalty and confidence." Gi chuckled as she played with Shu.

"How?" Althea asked.

Gi laughed joyously for the first time as she invited Althea to sit, and then proceeded to tell her of the Kraken and it's deceptions as well of her own thoughts.

"Trust me, you're better off." Althea said with a grunt.

"Huh?" Gi asked.

"I would have had to chase you down and remove you by force, after beating the crap out of my slut mother." A glare of homicidal rage glazed over Althea's eyes.

"Ok..." Gi backed away, as did Shu.

"Sorry..." Althea snapped back to reality. "She ran off with an Atlantean Lord and abandoned all of us."

"That... " Gi tried to think of something kind to say. "That just sucks."

"Yeah, I hate her." Althea smiled.

"Well Namor can't be that bad, right?" Gi asked.

"He tried to sleep with Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman." Althea said flatly.

"Wow..." Gi blinked. "Isn't she..."

"Married to Mr. Fantastic, yeah." Althea said.

"Wow." Gi laughed. "I'm really glad I didn't take that deal now."

"We all are." Althea smiled, "You get some rest ok."

"All right." Gi said as the door closed.

8888888888888888888

Deep in the Atlantean capitol Namor was pacing back and forth in a fury. Normally such a pace was reserved for longing for Sue Storm, but this time it was different. He was longing for the Planeteer, the girl named Gi. He could not explain why, but he had to have her.

"Commander!" Namor ordered. "Ready my men, tomorrow we go to surface once more!"

"Yes sir!" His commander saluted and left.

"I must have her!" Namor exclaimed.

"Sir..." A meek looking Mer-man poked his head into Namor's private chambers.

"Yes Gael." Namor motioned him inwards.

"Sir we have just received a message from someone named Clotho." Gael said meekly.

"Clotho, as in of the fates." Namor asked.

"The very same my lord." Gael choked.

"Very well then what does it say?" Namor asked.

"I can't open it sire." Gael handed it to Namor.

"Ugh..." Namor groaned as he opened the letter and jumped back when Clotho's head popped out in a very Looney Tunes fashion.

"IF YOU SO MUCH AS THINK OF MAKING A SUPER HERIONE HAREM I WILL CASTRATE YOU!" Clotho's head shouted before it vanished.

Namor just stared at the fallen letter in complete fear. "Gael, make a note; Clotho is now a Scion of some sort."

"Of course sire." Gael said as he exited.

Namor then bent down to peek under the letter and jumped back when a flurry of daggers came streaming out followed by Clotho shouting. "Thanks Wraith!" Namor just whimpered.


	6. The Big Q

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**The Big Q**_

"This is impressive." Lance blinked as he admired the ruins of Mach Picchu.

"Indeed they are." Kwame agreed as he set his back on the ground. "We should now be able to get a signal for our satellite phones."

"I hate this..." Low Light growled. "How did I get dragged into this?"

"Because Wanda decided to go to some dancing contest and you overheard our plans." Fred said.

"If it weren't for the fact that I like these guys I'd have made sure to enforce the whole being grounded factor." Low Life growled back.

"Grounded?" Kwame asked, slightly worried.

"Uh, lets just say Stanley and Arcade can get a little carried away in Smash Brothers." Lance chuckled. "Same goes for everyone else on the team."

"Toad wasn't getting carried away." Fred said.

"Which is why he and the others are covering for us." Lance reminded Fred. "Remember it's a Misfits' Shadow Op."

"Hawk approved it." Low Light smiled.

"HOW DID HE FIND OUT?" Lance growled.

"I told him.." Low Light smiled.

"COULD SOMEONE HELP ME UP!" Hank shouted as he hung perilously from the cliff that the others had climbed.

"Sorry Dr. McCoy." Fred said as he pulled the X-Man up. "So I guess this explains the X-Men meeting us here."

"Yup." Lance grumbled.

"I'm not happy about this either you know..." Bobby grumbled as he followed Dr. McCoy up the side of the cliff. "I mean I have to deal with Boom-Boom for cripes sake."

"Hey watch it Ice Cube." Tabitha shouted as she free climbed her way up. "Man this is exhilarating!"

"The only reason she's doing this is because I can extend a hand of rock out to grab her, right?" Lance glanced at Beast with an odd look.

Beast merely shot Lance a look as if to say "This is TABITHA we are talking about.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Lance sighed. "Tabitha, get your psycho rear UP HERE."

"I'm comin' Lance, don't get your fishbowl in knot." Tabitha shouted back.

A few minutes later Tabitha crested the edge of the cliff. "Woohoo! Boom Boom makes another record for the X-Men!" Tabitha jumped up in celebration.

"Can we get moving please." Lance snapped.

Soon the group found themselves touring the inside of the ruins, Beast was giving the entire history of the site and of the people. Fred was even commenting on some distant ancestors that came over from Holland and introduced the concept of buffets. Unfortunately the group quickly found themselves lost in the ruins and Fred gave no sign of stopping his stories.

"Fred..." Lance finally growled. "We're lost in ancient Incan ruins, can you please shut up?"

"Oh, sorry." Fred said. "So, how do we get found?"

"I dunno." Lance shrugged.

"I must admit..." Beast looked at the map that the X-men had downloaded with a confused look. "I am completely lost."

"Well don't look at me..." Low Light snapped.

"Hmm..." Kwame looked at the floor. "I think we have greater problems."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked.

"These floor tiles are made of metal." Kwame said as he dusted off the sand and dirt. All of a sudden a screech like an unearthly bird crying for it's mate peeled through the halls.

"Something is wrong here..." Lance said.

"Yeah." Fred agreed.

"We must move towards the screech." Kwame said.

"What?" Lance did a double take. "That sounded big to me. Very big."

"And it was also in pain Lance, we cannot let if suffer." Kwame said. "Please?"

"Kwame's right here guys." Tabitha spoke up. "Besides what if it's some legendary creature that Cobra or someone's torturing."

"Well it's definitely a Cobra hideout." Low Light said as he examined the floor tiles closely. "But I've never seen this color scheme before."

"It looks like Karai's costume." Bobby said. "Think the foot are involved."

"I wouldn't put torture past them." Lance said. "We're with you Kwame."

"Yeah." Bobby said as he iced himself over. "Let's freeze us some ninja snakes."

"How can a snake be a ninja?" Fred asked, completely serious. Everyone just sighed.

"Well what do we do?" Lance looked at Kwame.

"Yeah, what do we do?" Bobby agreed as everyone looked to Kwame.

"What? Why are looking at me?" Kwame gulped.

"Because you're the only team leader here." Lance said with a smile.

"Lance has a point." Low Light said. "You got a plan?"

"Um..." Kwame blanked. "No I..." Kwame froze. "I do not know what to do."

"Well, it is Cobra, you haven't fought them before..." Lance said. "Want someone else to lead?"

"Yes, Lance could you?" Kwame breathed a sigh of relief. "I bow out to your experience here."

A few minutes later Fred, Bobby, Tabitha and Lance came rushing down the hall on a small flowing wave of dirt that was ripping up the metal floor tiles as it moved. As the burst into the hide out that the thought was inhabited by Cobra or foot soldiers they instead found an empty room with a large snake caught in a very small case.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!" Beast came charging in covered in white powder. "I AM THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN!!!"

"Dr. McCoy, I do not belive anyone else is here." Kwame blinked as he walked in and spotted the snake. "This reminds of Dr. Blight's work."

"_BLIGHT!"_ A voice boomed. _"I curse that name! Had it not been for my power she and that monster Sinister would still be here torturing the girl!" _

"Who said that?" Lance jumped and gulped.

"_The serpent in the cage you fool!" _Everyone turned. _"Free the girl, she has been in there for weeks." _It gestured towards a small pod and soon everyone but Kwame were gathered around with worried looks talking about the resemblances the girl had with one of their friends.

"You are Quetzalcoatl." Kwame approached the serpent.

"_Yes. You smell of my servant Kezqua."_ The god cocked it's head before recognizing Kwame._ "Ahhhh... Earth Sculptor... You come for your ring." _

Kwame looked over at the pod that the others had opened. "It will have to wait, she needs our help."

"_It cannot be I am afraid."_ The winged serpent said sadly._ "The spirit of these ruins that once held your ring is now dead and the ring now lies with that witch." _

"Then we will get the ring back." Kwame said, "But now our worries must lie with an injured girl."

"_She will bring both great joy and sorrow."_ Quetzalcoatl said. _"She will need the help of all those around her."_

"Then she shall get the help of those around her." Kwame said confidently.

"_You cannot abandon your quest Kwame." _Quetzalcoatl said as it unfurled it's great rainbow wings.

"Why would I do that?" Kwame asked.

"_You fear leading your friends to their death." _Quetzalcoatl said.

Kwame was shocked, and he knew the god was right. He had been thinking of leaving the Planeteers long before the Chaos Spark and since then it had become a greater concern of his.

"_If you leave your friends will fall and though this world would survive the darkness, it would destroy you." _Quetzalcoatl.

"But..." Kwame grabbed his head, not wanting to believe what this god was telling him. "I am no leader!"

"_No man who leads is." _Quetzalcoatl said as it pu it's wings around Kwame. _"Let me tell you a secret young mortal." _Kwame looked up and strangely felt himself growing younger until he was a child staring at a great myth. _"Just because you cannot lead does not mean your opposite cannot." _

Kwame's mind split again as he was suddenly back to his true age. In his mind he saw the team splitting up, Gi and Ma-ti joining a government agency while Linka vanishe and Wheeler joined the Avengers. But to his great horror he saw that Captain Planet could not even materialize and was stuck in the Astral Plane while Captain Pollution roamed free with the other Eco-Villains. He saw the world that so loved it's wild life descend into the hell that they had come from.

"Why me?" Kwame gasped as tears flooded his eyes.

"_No other has taken the mantle. No other has the courage and willingness to lead." _Quetzalcoatl said gently. _"It is a burden to lead Kwame, but is not a burden you will carry on your own." _

Kwame looked up and blinked. "What do you mean?"

"_You lead a team. Teams only work if they have respect for the one that leads them. Your team must also love you as family, something you know they do." _Quetzalcoatl said this confidently. _"If you cannot lead them, who can they trust to lead them?"_

Kwame's mind went back to when they first started. The group was barely tolerant of each other, he and Wheeler argued almost constantly. Then as time went on the arguments lessened and altogether faded and became jokes and friendships. The questions on who was leader were always from outsiders who didn't understand the group.

"How can I deserve to lead if I have not seen this?" Kwame asked, "How can I return?"

"_A humble heart always lights the blackest of roads." _Quetzalcoatl said before he vanished and Kwame passed out.

"He's awake again!" Lance shouted as Kwame came to.

"Whoa, you ok man?" Bobby popped his head in over Kwame. "You gave us a start."

"Yeah, just be glad we got you back here in time." Toad said.

"Bb-but... Quetzalcoatl..." Kwame said.

"The big winged serpent that knocked you into a wall when you let it out?" Lance said. "What about it?"

"It was talking to me..." Kwame said as he sat up. "Did the others say anything?"

"Yeah, everyone but Linka, we lost contact with them." Lance looked worried. "They were captured in Latveria."

"WHAT?" Kwame shouted. "We must mount a rescue!" Kwame pushed himself off the bed.

"Whoa, cool it!" Toad said as he pushed Kwame back. "Even if you had your new ring you aren't exactly at your best, yo."

"I don't care, we can't let them stay captured there!" Kwame was furious. "I won't abandon them there."

A sudden and bright flash filled the room, blinding everyone. Kwame placed his arm in front of his eyes and a tall rock golem filled the brightness, much to his surprise.

"_You have passed." _The Golem spoke. _"I have many names for I am many things of this earth. Call upon me as Golem and my power is added to your own. May Gaia grace your leadership." _

"What was that?" Lance jumped back.

"Whoa, Kwame look at your hand!" Toad blinked.

Kwame held up his hand where a golden ring entwined with a copper setting held the familiar new symbols from Ma-ti's ring. This time however a desert was in the center, the heart at the top. At this time Kwame also felt a strange renewal of strength.

"I'm going to save Linka." Kwame said as he stood up.

"Wrong." Wheeler stepped in front of him as Ma-ti and Gi joined him.

"We are going to save Linka." Ma-ti said with a smile.

"And the others helping too." Gi smiled.

Kwame gave a foolish grin, laughed deeply and hugged his friends, even though Wheeler tried to get out of it. "My friends, I am so sorry I almost left you."

"What?" Everyone asked in shock.

"But that is not our worry now." Kwame said. "I am here to stay."

"Well that's good news." Wheeler said. "We'd be lost with out you man."

"Now let us free our friends." Kwame smiled, and for the first time in a long time he felt as if he could accomplish anything with the other Planeteers... no with his friends, all of them, by his side.

**88888888888888888**

AN: Yes the girl is Madelyne...

Perfection: I think you screwed up the time line...

That's putting it lightly...

Wraith: I think he killed any resemblance to the time line when you turned Hulk into a glorified Boy-Scout.

Hulk: SCOUT-BOY!

Wraith: completely terrified Whatever you say sir.

Why won't you talk to me like that.

Wraith: Can you turn me into a puddle through physical beating?

... Good point.

Wraith: Exactly...


	7. Dr Doom and the Planeteer

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By Xenomorph666**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Dr. Doom and the Planeteer**_

"Welcome to Latveria my dear." Dr. Doom sat at the head of a long table. "Your friends are safe for now, however I must ask you why you tried to get into my country undetected."

"Why should I tell you, you tyrant." Linka snapped as she sat to hi left.

"Tyrant?" Doom glared at her. "I forgot who you are allies with..."

"You rule with fear and power, you are a tyrant." Linka spat.

"My dear, if you would just answer my..." Doom's eyes glanced to Linka's hands. "I see..." Linka quickly covered up her broken ring. "The Planeteer's rings are broken." He took a sip from a glass of wine. "I will have my Doombots escort you to the temple ruins, no I think I will join you. I wish to see this. However, your friends will remain here until we return."

"What?" Linka asked.

"My dear, you and your friends are a powerful force and the only ones capable of toppling those who really do wish to exploit this world endlessly." Doom said quietly. "I only seek to bring it under a single peaceful rule, not to kill of all it's life, so I'm sure you can see that I do not benefit if I deny you aid. In fact I would only make things worse." Dr. Doom turned to leave.

Linka could hardly believe what she was hearing and her expression relayed that.

"I also understand that our recently acquired territory has your hometown..." Dr. Doom turned to give her a cold stare. "That would make you a Latverian citizen my dear and would not be wise to question Doom."

This time Linka froze in complete fear. She knew this would be a dangerous mission, but if what she heard in his voice was right, she had been threatened by the tyrant. It was not at all what she had expected, no, she had expected him to actually do something with his threat, not just make it. She expected to be choked or something, not just threatened.

"Linka, please follow me." Dr. Doom said calmly.

Linka quickly got out of her seat and followed. She didn't know what he would do to her if she did not cooperate, but she had the feeling that it would not only be unpleasant but also very lethal. She followed Doom to very militaristic garage where a jeep awaited them surrounded by several of his Doombots.

"This should be over quickly." Doom yawned. "Of all the Planeteers you are the most intelligent, I have no doubt you will pass this test."

88888888888888888

Meanwhile in a dungeon lab Stanley was bust bouncing around a rubber containment structure that would not break. Lina was simply chained to a steal ball and Rina and Logan were contained in adamantium cages and Rina was not taking it well.

"LET'S HELP THEM OUT YOU SAID!" Rina kicked the bars. "LET TOAD COVER FOR THEM!" She kicked the bars again. "KEEP LINKA SANE! She tried biting at the bars.

"Calm down kid, I got signal out before we were found. They'll come for us." Logan said confidently.

"Oh yeah..." Ash, who had simply wanted to get away from the mansion was in the back of the cage. "And maybe Mr. Fantastic will grow a pair of wing and sprout a unicorn horn. We're in LATVERIA! Had I known we were coming HERE I would have stayed at the mansion!"

"The walls are closing in!" Stanley bounced around furiously trying to break through.

"Will you shut up!" Rina shouted. "If I could just get my claws around to the lock hole..."

"Don't they're electrified, remember." Logan said reminded her of his earlier attempt.

"I don't care!" Rina snapped. "I can't stand this..." She broke down and began to sob.

"Awww..." Stanley stopped his crazy Mask behavior and warped to his normal self. "Come on Rina, hold it together, who else am I supposed to give heart attacks to by messing with Larry's med gear?"

"You do that?" Rina snapped her head towards Stanely, "Stop messing with his medicine!"

"There we go." Stanley smiled. "Larry and Rina sitting in a tree..." He continued.

"You realise they're only friends, right?" Ash was talking to Logan who was strangely calm. "

Yeah, DM told me after the Scions had a bet about our original universe." Logan sniffed.

"Who won?" Ash asked.

"Apparently no one." Logan said. "They all thought they were going to be a couple."

"That's messed up." Ash laughed.

"Now I have to worry about that shell head though." Logan gritted his teeth.

"No you don't." Ash said, "He's smitten with Mona Lisa."

"Oh thank God." Logan breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly a loud explosion shook the castle they were in. Everyone stopped and looked up.

"They're here!" Lina cheered.

"Sounds like..." Logan listened to a series of explosion. "Boom Boom and Multiple..."

"Yup." Ash agreed. "No where's the blue Legolas at?"

"Probably trying to find us." Logan said. "So who do I have to worry about?"

"Hell is I know." Ash shrugged, "She's your daughter."

"Don't remind me." Logan said as he tried to pry Rina away from the bars.

"I will kill you!" Rina shouted to Stanley.

"That kid causes more trouble than the Misfits on a sugar high..." Ash said as he watched Stanley mock Rina with a puppet show.

"There's a pool to see who will set him straight first." Logan smiled.

"Put me down for a Scion." Ash said.

"My money's on Wraith." Logan said.

A few minutes later the Planeteers, Misfits and X-Men came rushing into the dungeon. The Planeteers were obviously not happy, doubly so when they had to restrain Rina from killing Stanley. However they quickly learned where Linka was and that Doom was with her.

88888888888888888

"Here we are..." Dr. Doom said with a strange tone in his voice.

"What is this place?" Linka was in utter awe of the large stone temple before her.

It was made of solid marble, as if cut from the very Earth itself. Above it's main arch were the five symbols of the Planeteers, though Linka only recognized a few. She could hardly believe what she was seeing and could hardly believe that Gaia would let such a beautiful thing fall into the hands of such a dangerous tyrant.

"This is what my scholars have come to call a "Vestige of Gaia", it literally sprouted from the earth a few weeks ago and we have kept it secret since then." Doom lead her to a door and read an inscription on it. "Only one of the chosen may enter, only the master or mistress of the winds." He looked down at Linka and she could feel and evil smile form on his face. "Enter." He grabbed her hand and placed it on the door which crumbled and promptly sucked the two of them into a large void.

Moments later Linka stood back up, Dr. Doom was unconscious nearby. She looked around to see the exit wide open and tried to move towards it, but a powerful wind blew her back against a wall.

"_You come to seek what is not yours sorcerer." _An odd voice spoke as Dr. Doom came to again, he was promptly pulled back through the opening as soon as he tried to speak. _"Now let us begin Wind Mistress..." _The voice that spoke did not sound happy.

"Who are you?" Linka demanded.

"_I am the winds, I am the very air you breath..." _The voice spoke as a mist formed over the ground. In it Linka could barely make out a human like form. "You may call me Ariel..."

"Like from the Tempest." Linka asked cautiously. "Like Puck..."

"_Indeed." _Ariel said slyly, his words almost coiling like a snake.

Linka pressed herself against the wall. "What is my test?"

"_My dear, you are the Mistress of winds, I cannot deny that; however, I do NOT like you..."_ Ariel said darkly._ "I might like the next choice better though..." _

Linka suddenly felt a rush as all the air went rushing out of the temple. She even felt the air from her lungs being drug out be force as the mist came closing in on her and she could clearly see the spirit's warped face.

"_Today you die at the hands of Ariel."_ Ariel hissed.

"_Come now Ariel..."_ Another voice called,_ "You dare to harm your mistress? What manner of sprite are thee?" _

"_PUCK!"_ Ariel turned to his at the solid form of a floating form that resembles a jester with long flowing white hair and an innocent smile._ "Cousin why doth you interfere?"_

Linka watched as the air returned to the room and her lungs. She gasped desperately and quickly wondered why Ariel now spoke in old English.

"_Oh come now, you must have sensed it good cousin?_" Puck stood upon the earth. "They have awoken in the past, the collisions just have yet to be made."

"_You speak on her plane now, why?" _Ariel spoke again.

"You really haven't sensed it, have you?" Puck laughed, "Oh the Scions must be loving this..." He turned to Linka, "If you haven't guessed my world is about to fuse right along side of yours."

"NO!" Suddenly Perfection appeared, his aura crackling in anger. "Puck, you cannot be serious, tell me your just joking."

"Why would I joke about that." Puck laughed. "Look at it this way, now you have more people to help fight the Heartless. Plus we are integrating into their world."

"Why does this keep happening?" Perfection threw his arms up in defeat. Then the air started flowing out again and Perfection glanced at Ariel before the spirit was turned into a box of Cracker Jacks which Perfection handed to Linka. "There's a prize in everyone." He said with a wink before vanishing.

"Hmmm, should be fun running into you guys when I'm full integrated." Puck laughed.

Linka cautiously opened the box. "When will that be exactly?"

"Hm..." Puck pulled out a calender, "Before the Misfits interLUEDE, after the Turtles"

"What?" Linka asked.

"Secret of the universe my dear, secret of the universe." Puck smiled as Linka pulled out a shining silver ring with the familiar symbols on them, but they were black. "Hm... needs a spirits blessing. Ariel if I turn you back will you work with her?" The box simply jumped. "Ok then." The box then turned back into Ariel, albeit a much more worried looking one.

"_Forgive me my mistress I had no right..." _Ariel whimpered. _"I shall obey your commands and join with your ring..." _With that Ariel vanished and the symbols on the ring became full of color.

"Well then time for me to..." Several explosions interrupted Puck. "...go. Your friends are here."

"Really, I could not tell" Linka said with some dread as Puck vanished. "They are going to _love_ this news."


	8. United

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By THE Xenomorph**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**United**_

"I can't believe it..." Wheeler was smiling as the Planeteers finally arrived back at Hope Island. He gawked at the way the crystals on the island had formed an almost perfect multi-story home, research center and recovery center for any animals they might need to care for.

"It is beautiful." Linka gasped in awe.

"But Gaia has still not returned." Kwame said grimly.

"I think I know why." Gi said. "Lets get everyone in the new crystal chamber." Gi jumped off the helicopter that Wild Bill had brought them in.

"I will get Larry, he wanted to stay behind earlier." Ma-ti said.

Ma-ti ran quickly to his friend and found Rina was already there pacing and growling. He stopped moving and Suichi who had stayed with Larry jumped from Larry to Ma-ti in a very excited manner.

"I told her about my vision." Larry moaned. "Now she's going into some sort of berserker protective mode."

"Rina." Ma-ti smiled as he put her hand on his shoulder and interrupted her rant. She instantly calmed and faced him. "You don't have to worry about it. If I have to die to save a friend, I will."

"But then all your friends will miss you. They'll be in pain and I don't like my friends in pain." Rina snarled. "I won't let that cloth excuse for a reaper take you." It was a calm and bold statement.

"We can all talk about that later, but right now we have to got the crystal chamber." Ma-ti smiled. "By the way how did you get here so fast?"

"Take a guess..." Rina said as Xi decloaked in the corner, ran up to Ma-ti and hugged him closely.

"I too will fight to keep you here." Xi said.

"Let's just go to the crystal chamber for now, ok?" Ma-ti struggled to free himself.

"All right." Xi agreed as he released Ma-ti.

"You're just some sort of friend magnet your realize that right?" Larry smiled.

"I'm easy to get along with." Ma-ti said.

"_I had another vision..." _Larry's voice rang in his head lightly. _"I don't understand it, but you didn't die this time and that weird kid was standing right next to you." _

"_Maybe the team needed their powers back..." _Ma-ti thought back in response.

"_Who knows." _Larry admitted, and he smiled at the thought.

Soon everyone that was either visiting or living on New Hope Island were gathered in the large and improved Crystal Chamber, which Wheeler had dubbed the Crystal Nexus. There were even some new faces as Professor Xavier had invited the Fantastic Four to help understand the crystal structure and to meet the Planeteers.

"Ok Gi, what's up. Where's Gaia?" Lance asked.

"Yeah that's what I wanna know too." Toad said as he sat next to Althea and Xi.

"She's all around us." Gi said, repeating Leviathan's words. "I think we need to use our rings on that crystal." Gi pointed to a large crystal stalagmite that was poking out of the ground.

"It's worth a try." Wheeler shrugged. "Start us off fearless leader." He playfully slapped Kwame on the back.

"Indeed." Kwame took a deep breathe and spoke. "Let our powers and spirits combine." He leveled his ring at the crystal. "Golem of Earth!" The green beam that represented his powers leaped forward and one fourth of the crystal became solid rock. The tip remained unchanged.

"Agni of Fire!" Wheeler held his ring over his other arm like he would hold a shotgun and fired the red beam. On fourth of the crystal became a blazing inferno. The tip still remained unchanged.

"Ariel of Wind!" Linka let her beam of azure energy collide with the crystal and mist began to roll down on fourth of it's face. The tip was still the same.

"Leviathan of Water!" Gi shouted as her ring shot out a blue beam and one fourth of the crystal became solid ice with water at the bottom.

Ma-ti froze for a second, he knew what the top was for as did everyone else. It was reserved for his power, but he had no spirit to combine. So he could only say one thing. "Heart." As soon as it was spoken the entire island shook and then settled, The crystal had changed during the quick shaking and it now stood before all in the room as a giant crystal globe.

"Ok..." Wheeler looked around. "I don't see Gaia."

"Look again Wheeler." Gaia's voice rang from with in the globe as the spirit of the Earth once again materialized. Only know she wasn't middle aged or even recognizable. She know looked like a twelve year old girl.

"Ok, I'm creeped out here. That little girl sounds like just like..." Johnny Storm was interrupted by The Thing slapping him in the head. "Ow!"

"Gaia!" The room rang out in joyous surprise.

"Hello again, it is good to see you all again." She paused as she looked at her body and smiled. She quickly changed to her usual form and walked over to the Planeteers. "My friends, my guardians." Her smile held a somber look. "Today is the last day I shall ever take form on this world."

The Planeteers looked as if someone had put a knife through their heart. She above even Kwame was their guiding light and know she was telling them that she was leaving them. Ma-ti started to cry, Gi as well.

"I cannot keep my form in this new world, the power required is just to great." She turned to another in the room, Kezqua, and smiled. "Would you guide them, help them when their hearts grow weak and when their wills are shattered."

Kezqua, relatively a new person to everyone on the entire island. A person that SHIELD, GI Joe and even Xavier had questions for, a wanted ex-Cobra Criminal and early morning grouch. This mutated man did not even blink when he said in all seriousness. "I'll do my best, but I'm only mortal."

"Thank you." Gaia smiled as the island shook once more. "Let this island then, once again live and flourish. Go see..." Gaia pointed to the coastline as grasses and trees sprouted. The entirety of the room made their way outside save for the Planeteers and Kezqua.

"Gaia..." Wheeler was plainly distraught.

"No Wheeler, there is nothing you can do." Gaia smiled as she gave all her chosen guardians a loving hug and kiss. "Keep the spirits well, and keep your hearts bright." The Planeteers were astonished to see tears filling in her eyes as she began to fade. "Goodbye children..."

"Gaia!" Linka dove for Gaia, but passed through her fading form. Kezqua quietly walked over and helped Wheeler pull her sobbing form up.

"We are all alone now." Linka sobbed.

"No we are not." Kwame's face had quickly become determined. "We have each other and our friends." He knelt down to face Linka, "And that is all we need, but we will still miss her."

"I don't think we have to..." Ma-ti said. "I think I understand what Gi said."

"She's all around us..." Gi touched the crystals that made up the Nexus and she instantly felt the comforting warmth of Gaia's love.

"She didn't leave us Linka." Wheeler held her close. "She's everywhere now, we just have open our heart to her."

"And defend them." A rare steeled look came over Ma-ti. "I'm not going to let the heartless hurt you my friends."

"Ma-ti!" Kezqua shouted, Ma-ti gave a startled look at him. "It is not just your battle. We will all fight. Casualties will be a part of life, but we will fight with hope in our hearts. That will be our most powerful weapon."

"GUYS!" Toad shouted from outside, "YOUR CRAZY VILLAINS ARE ON THE BEACH!"

"Oh good..." Wheeler smiled, "I was hoping to introduce the rest of them to Agni..."

"Down Wheeler." Kwame smiled, "I call Plunder first."

The whole team laughed as they walked out to face the Eco-Villains.


	9. Harmony

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By THE Xenomorph**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Harmony**_

"Well, well, well..." Dr. Blight stood before her crew of Eco-Villains with a smug smile, a strange robot that looked like Mal was next to her. "Looks like that tracer worked after all Nukem."

"Told ya." Duke smiled. "That Shredder guy may be a psycho but his junk works."

"Oh..." Gecko laughed as did Betsy. "You stole from Shred-head? You're a dead man."

"Gecko's right yo, you're a marked man." Toad laughed. "Yo, all clear away from the marked man!" He shouted back, almost all the Misfits and X-Men laughed. Donatello just shook his head.

"I think you'll be smiling less once we wipe this island off the face of the Earth." Looten Plunder chuckled.

"What're you gonna do, deforest it?" Wheeler mocked. "It grows right back."

"Actually I was thinking more around the plan of..." Plunder leveled his ring at the Nexus' outer rooms. "Destruction!"

The walls of the housing area blew out in shards and the Planeteers went to cover themselves, but a bright shield covered them as Kezqua held out his spear. "Looks like they've got some new tricks too kids."

"Let us show them ours then." Linka said. "Ariel!" The wind spirit shot out of the ring in the form a twisting tornado that immediately sought out Plunder and tossed him in the ocean.

"Looks like it's my turn next..." Hoggish Greedly snorted. He brandished his ring almost like a bowling ball. "Wastes!" A ball of smog went rolling towards Linka, but a flame ball intercepted it before it could reach her.

Wheeler had called upon Agni and it presented itself as a coiling eastern dragon that entwined itself around both Wheeler and Linka. _"Fire must have air to buuuurn..." _It spoke in a serpentine voice as it shot a fire ball and lit Greedly's pants on fire. He ran to the ocean to put them out.

"Oh, I remember you!" Nukem thrusted his ring forward and shouted. "Gamma Radiation!" The green beam formed.

"No you do not!" Kwame shouted. "Golem, protect my friends!" As the beam released itself and shot forward a solid wall of lead shot up from the earth and blocked it entirely.

"Oh that's not good." Nukem said as the wall shifted to a giant snake and used it's tail to toss him into the water head first.

"Oh please..." Verminous Skumm said dismissively. "You ain't seen nothing yet." He aimed his ring directly at Gi. "TOXINS!" A vile purple beam shot forward only to be blocked and spewed back at him by a large wall of swirling water.

"You stay out of this water girl!" Skumm shouted to Althea.

"I'm not doing anything rat-face!" She shouted back.

"Huh?" Skumm looked back at Gi to see that her ring was glowing. "Oh..."

"Skumm, I'd like you to meet Leviathan." Gi pointed above her head where the giant whale now hovered.

"Oh COME ON!" Skumm shouted. "How can I beat that? I'm going in the water!" He walked over and sat next to Plunder. "Not one word."

"Looks like it's down to me." Blight smiled. "Mal distract the others."

"Of course doctor." Mal leaped forward only to be thwacked down by the dull end of Kezqua's spear.

"I guess you could call me a modern day paladin, a wondering sould doing good by keeping a fair fight in the eyes of his god. A protector of the weak and helpless..." Kezqua smiled as he walked towards his fallen enemy. "But the truth is you went after the kid's friends." He walked closer. "That means I hurt you..." He pulled Mal to his face. "A lot."

"You're even more incompetent with a body!" Blight growled. "HATE!" Blight's ring vibrated with a dark pulse as the people on the island quickly began turning on each other. "Yes, tear each other apart..." Blight smiled psychotically, but did not notice that the Planeteers and Kezqua were unfazed.

"Dr. Blight..." Ma-ti said calmly.

"WHAT?" She snapped.

"Heart, let them see clearly." Ma-ti's ring flashed brightly and before he knew it their friends were now looking at Blight with angry glares. "Hatred will never have a place on this island."

"Hate!" She centered the ring on Ma-ti, but it never made it to him, a powerful and intense wall of light stopped it. Soon the dark tendrils shaped the light's finer details and everyone could see that the wall was made of hundreds of people fighting against hate at that very moment. Children helping each other, parents teaching their children to care and much to Wheeler's surprise his father tossing his FOH card in the trash.

"Heart." Ma-ti said softely and the wall extended and plowed into Blight knocking her to the ground.

"Ok..." Blight growled. "I don't care anymore..."

"Finally!" Plunder shouted. "DESTRUCTION!" He shouted and pointed the ring towards the sky.

"Gamma Radiation!" Nukem shouted and followed.

"WASTES!" Greedly shouted and joined in.

"Toxins!" Skumm shouted.

"No..." Blight groaned loudly. "Hate... not enough... need more power..." She laughed maniacally. "Must have it all... more..." Black tendrils crept up and along her body as several golden eyed creatures crawled over her. "Take it! Just leave me the power of..." She aimed her ring high as one of the creature plunged it's hand into her chest and pulled out a bright object.

"NO!" Ma-ti shouted, he knew what it was.

"DARKNESS!" The beam of blackness left Blight's ring and as soon as it did she disappeared into nothingness, leaving the warped black ring behind.

"What the hell?" Kezqua looked up, momentarily distracted and Mal pushed him off and ran to grab the ring.

"Dr. Blight?" Mal shouted as the darkness quickly faded. "Dr. Blight..." Mal bent down and picked up the ring.

Up in the sky however the familiar form of Captain Pollution was taking shape, but everyone knew this would be different.

"Quickly, let our power combine!" Kwame shouted. "EARTH"

"Fire!" Wheeler joined in.

"Wind!" Linka shouted.

"Water!" Gi said confidently.

"HEART!" Ma-ti said.

In the sky the two forms were becoming solid. Captain Planet was literaly melding into existence by the elments forming into the different parts of his body. Fire became the red of his clothes, his crystaline body formed from air and water and his green hair and brown eyes from earth. His untainted heart and soul formed from the power of Ma-ti and those of the Earth that still had hope.

"By your powers combined, I am the elements in harmony, I am CAPTAIN PLANET!" Captain Planet burst forth from cocoon like melding form. "What the heck is that?" He immediately noticed the noxious looking mass before him.

The form was twisting and becoming something else entirely that what it had been intended to be. Captain Planet could hear the tortured screams of his evil counterpart and even saw the golden eyes from within the cocoon rip out the slightly glowing heart.

"No..." Captain Planet gasped.

The dark cocoon began to crack and a deep ominous laughter echoed. "Heart..." It was Captain Pollutions voice. "I always did despise that power..." As the cocoon fell away it was clear that this new being was not Captain Pollution, but something else entirely. His body was a sickly gray and where it was once purple coloring to warp the red of Captain Planet's it was pure black. His hair was literally a black flame that gave off a deadly looking smog and his eyes were cold and lizard like. "Once you called me Captain Pollution dear 'brother', but now I think I am something entirely different..."

"Pollution..." Captain Planet was still shocked and floated down near the Planeteers.

"I... am... CAPTAIN DARKNESS!" Captain Darkness laughed manically as he formed to solid beams of darkness and fired them at the good Captain.

"We need Sora..." Ma-ti said with a distant twinge to his voice.

"Well whoever he is, he should get here." Wheeler gulped. "Agni, give us cover!" Agni returned to the ring and came back out as a flaming wall. The darkness however knocked him apart and he returned to the ring defeated.

Ma-ti then looked at his friends and made a decision. He then stepped past Captain Planet and put his arms in front of his friend.

"Well..." Darkness spoke. "Heart boy wants to sacrifice himself. Okay by me..." Darkness shot out another beam.

"_Sora..." _Ma-ti thought to himself. _"Please help my friends..." _

"Ma-ti get back here you don't have a spirit!" Wheeler tried to jump forward but several hands held him back including Kezqua's "What are you doing, HELP HIM!"

"Something big is coming..." Kezqua looked towards the sun and saw a shining dot on the horizon approaching much faster than should ever be possible. "Someone... is coming..."

"It's some kids!" Toad shouted as he looked through his binoculars. "WITH KEYBLADES!"

"What?" Kezqua turned in shock.

Everyone watched as the beam of light that held the three kids suddenly blew up onto the beach and stopped in front of Darkness' attack.

"You know, I may have only met you Ma-ti, but I'd much rather save you then let die." The smiling face of Sora said as the light that had surrounded he and his friends was shattered by the attack. A young brown haired girl fell to the ground from the force.

"He... he came..." Ma-ti blinked in shock.

"Of course he did..." Perfection floated by his side. "He couldn't let you just die."

"This guys' gonna be tough." The silver haired Riku grunted while Captain Darkness through a fit about them "interfering" .

"Yeah, well he's getting on my nerves." Sora smiled. "Should we show him?"

"Show me WHAT?" Captain Darkness shouted.

"Show you..." Riku started.

"These." Sora finished as he and Riku summoned their keyblades.

"Oh I'm in so much trouble..." Captain Darkness was obviously not impressed. "Why don't you kids go play key bearer somewhere else before I vaporize you."

"He thinks we're playing Sora..." Riku chuckled.

"That is kinda funny isn't it?" Sora laughed.

"Just who are you?" Darkness shouted, his irritation was finally gorwing.

"Hold on to that thought for a second." Sora said with a smile as he turned to Captain Planet. "We're gonna need your help here."

"Hu..." Planet quickly came back to his sense and remembered what he had seen and what had happened. A look of determination crossed his face. "You got it!" Captain Planet stood up again and his element reverberated in harmony. "YOU!" He pointed to Darkness. "You are not my brother and neither was Pollution, but at least he had the heart enough to keep those weaker than him from OUR fights. I will defeat you, with Sora and Riku's help and then we're taking back Pollution's heart."

"Brave words for a weakling." Darkness said, "Even if you do have two key bearers, you're no match for me."

"Maybe not alone..." Ma-ti said. "HEART!" Everyone expected nothing to happen, but all at once three form materialized on the island. King Mickey, Goofy and Donald.

"Ok, now I might be in trouble..." Darkness gulped.

Ma-ti collapsed in a weakened state. "That makes it even."


	10. Unwelcome Invader

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By THE Xenomorph**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Unwelcome Invader**_

"This is my cue to leave..." Perfection said as he quietly vanished.

Captain Planet, Sora, Riku, King Mickey and the others were all standing ready to fight. Every last one.

"Whatever help you need, we're here." Mister Fantastic said.

"Yeah, Flame on!" The Human Torch exclaimed as he lit himself on fire.

"Nice." Captain Planet smiled. "But mines bigger, hotter and brighter." Captain Planet embraced himself in a flaming tower. "Come on Darkness, lets go!"

"Hey!" Darkness snapped, "This is totally unfair! I need some back up!"

"_**Then back up you shall have." **_An ominous voice called from a small tear in reality. Several shadows and Neo Shadows poured from the crack before the world sealed it once more.

"That was creepy." Wheeler admitted.

"That was Xemnas!" Riku and Sora said as one.

"He can't be alive!" Sora gasped.

"It'll have to wait." Riku said as the Shadows and their larger cousins charged.

"Captain Planet, can you handle Captain Darkness alone?" Kairi asked as she approached the flaming hero.

"Looks like I'll have to." Planet admitted.

"No you won't." Sora smiled to Riku.

"Right I'll take the heartless." Riku smiled back.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora shouted and his friends quickly saluted. "Let's show'em what Final Form can do!"

"All right!" Donald said in his warbled voice.

"We're here for ya Sora!" Goofy smiled.

As they finished speaking both of them were absorbed into Sora's body and his black clothes became white, he floated off the ground and he had two Keyblades, one his normal the other longer and much more intimidating. The Keyblades however simply floated to the side of his hands as if invisible hands were holding them from his back.

"We're ready!" Sora said excitedly, a hint of Goofy and Donald's voices were in his own. "Let's take this creep down!"

"All right!" Wheeler shouted. "We'll help with the Heartless."

Captain Planet and Sora quickly took to the sky and charged Planet's darker and more twisted doppleganger. Planet fired a bolt of ice at his evil twin which Darkness managed to dodge with ease. Sora came at him with his own attacks, several powerful swings that Darkness again managed to dodge. Planet then came in from the side with a fist made of rock. Darkness allowed himself to take the blow, but was surprised when the fists was filled with lava. Darkness flew back in pain while his gray skin boiled up, agitated by the natural power.

"He's strong, we can't take him even with the two of us at full power." Sora grunted as he watched Darkness' reaction.

"Who said I was using full power?" Captain Planet smiled. "Planeteers, I need the power of the spirits!"

Kwame heard this below as he and wheeler were using their spirits to provide an advancing wall on several shadows. He looked up and nodded to the Captain.

"Quickly focus our spirits on Captain Planet." Kwame said. "Golem to our friend's aid!"

Wheeler gulped, but knew that Captain Planet would need the power. "Agni, help'em out!"

"Ariel to Captain Planet!" Linka said with confidence as she kicked a shadow into a stone.

"Leviathan!" Gi shouted as the spirits finally condense.

Golem sprang from the earth and enshrouded Captain Planet's arms and legs in a crust like armor. Agni sprouted from where Golem did and encased his Fists and feet. Ariel swirled into existence and created an almost invisible shield around him while Leviathan sprang from the sea, passed through the shield and quickly became a composite armor for Captain Planet's remaining exposed body.

"One more to go!" Captain Planet shouted.

"But I don't have a spirit." Ma-ti said.

"You do Ma-ti, he's always watched over you." Planet looked to Kezqua.

"So be it." Kezqua said. "Big Q, could use your help here..."

Without warning the sun let off an intense wave of heat as the god Quetzalcoatl descended to earth and ripped his servant's body asunder in a powerful blast of solar energy.

"Well now this just sucks..." Kezqua grumbled. "I better get a new body after this!" He shouted to his patron deity. "Do it kid, I'm all right."

Ma-ti blinked before raising his ring. "Kezqua help Captain Planet?"

"Sure, why not." Kezqua's spirit shot forward and as it passed through the shield it formed into a spear of light in Captain Planet's hands.

"OH COME ON!" Darkness shouted, "What are you a Power Ranger?!"

To his left Deadpool's familiar face exited a dimensional tear. "Becareful what you say man, they'll hear you and then you'll be stuck like me, a Deadpool in a Power Ranger's school." He then grabbed Darkness by the collar. "GET ME OUTTA HERE! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE A SECOND TRIP HERE?" He then promptly disappeared.

"Let's just get this over with." Darkness groaned as he shot forward a single condensed beam of darkness at both Sora and Captain Planet. It hit both dead on, and sent Sora sailing to the ground, Goofy and Donal materialized as he fell. Captain Planet however was completely unfazed.

"That wasn't nice." Planet said as the voices of the spirits condensed along with his own. "We don't like that." The shield around Planet suddenly extended ad the spear shot into it and created a net like filter. As it expanded outward Captain Darkness touched the edge and reeled back in extreme pain as his left hand burned itself to a stump. The net continued extending outward as Darkness backpedaled in fear, the shadows and Neo shadow's caught in it's wake were obliterated as it ripped them to pieces. When it touched Sora, Donald and Goofy however they were revived from unconsciousness, but still very weak. As the light finished spreading over the island Captain Darkness growled in disgust and tore open a dimensional hole and vanished into it. Soon after holes opened up behind the other Eco-Villains and they two vanished.

Captain Planet then descended to the earth as the spirits promptly returned to their rings, but Kezqua merely took a new physical body next to Ma-ti. When Captain Planet reached the earth he looked to the Planeteer and smiled. "The power is yours!" He said as he broke apart and returned the basic power of the rings.

Soon the island had calmed down and a lot of the people who were visiting had left. Only Pyro, Larry, Toad and Althea remained behind. Sora and his friends were given rooms on New Hope Island and were even given a quick tour. In the evening Sora was sitting on the docks with Kairi and Riku when Ma-ti and Larry approached with the other visiting Misfits in tow behind them.

"Hey." Sora stood up as did Riku and Kairi. "Nice to finally meet you." Sora extended his hand for a shake.

The groups exchanged their official greetings and sat down along the pier. Riku was mostly silent as Ma-ti and Larry asked Sora questions about the creatures they had seen in Larry's visions.

"You know you spoke to us in our dreams." Riku said. "Never seen Sora so determined to help someone, but then again that's just what he does."

"Aw..." Sora blushed. "Thanks Riku."

"You mean you were really talking to us?" Ma-ti asked.

"Yup." Sora smiled "In my dreams."

"Were they nice dreams about a certain little brunette?" Althea asked teasingly. Sora and Kairi simply blushed.

"They were visions." Riku said, "And you barely avoided the first death in what could be a huge list of casualties."

Ma-ti shook his head somberly. "No we didn't. Dr. Blight's heart, she gave it to the darkness for more power."

"Better an enemy than an ally." Riku said.

"Come on Riku, you know that's not true." Sora said, a slightly depressed look crossed his face.

"I know, but in this war, just about any normal enemy is a better loss than him." Riku said.

"Why me?" Ma-ti asked.

"You don't know." Riku smiled.

"Know what?" Ma-ti asked.

Sora tossed hiss key blade to Ma-ti in response. Ma-ti caught it, but instead of removing itself back to Sora's hand it simply stayed. "You're a key bearer."

"But..." Ma-ti handed the Key blade back. "I don't have a Key blade... and I could never use it." Ma-ti said with a look of slight disgust.

"Key blades aren't just weapons." Kairi said with a smile. "They can heal and help others, they're only weapons as a last resort."

"Yeah." Sora said with a smile, "Don't think of it as a weapon, it's more like an all purpose tool."

"An all purpose sneak outta your room at night tool I bet." Todd smirked.

"How'd you know that?" Kairi and Sora said at the same time and then blushed.

"Awwwwww!" Todd snapped to attention. "I knew it!"

"We all did Toddles." Althea smiled.

"Ah!" Pyro jumped back, everyone looked to see Kezqua standing over him.

"No playing with fire on the wooden docks, sawdust for brains." Kezqua grumbled.

"You know... he's like the Planeteer's own Logan." Larry said.

"Yup, X-Men have Logan, we have Low Light, Maximals have Rattrap, the turtles have... uh... no one. And the Planeteers have Kezqua." Todd smiled.

"I need a stiff drink..." Kezqua groaned as he walked away with Pyro's lighter in hand. Pyro was quick to follow.

"So is it starting?" Althea turned to Sora.

"No, we just came ahead of schedule." Sora smiled.

"And as such..." Wraith appeared at the end of the dock where three shadowed forms walked out from behind him.

"No way..." Sora blinked.

"It can't be." Kairi gasped.

"Who are they again?" Riku asked.

"Roxas, born into this world for real." Roxas smiled as he charged up several energy balls. "And I'm a mutant." He walked over to Sora and gave him a a hand shake.

"I'm Naminé, also born into this world for real." She smiled and ran up and hugged Kairi. "Wraith's letting me use magic."

"Name's Axel..." A tall red headed man smiled. "Got it memorized."

"He's still a jackass." Wraith and Roxas said together.

"But seriously, I'm what you might call a balancing act." Axel smiled. "This time around I'm human, just like I should have been all the time. Heart and all."

"We all have our own hearts and souls now." Roxas said.

"No life should be with out it." Wraith said somberly. "But others take the wrong routes to get them."

"Xemnas." Sora's face narrowed.

"Yes, he and several others cheated me and this time I will take them." Wraith said. "For now though, rest and be merry." Wraith's eyes had a somber smile as he faded into his own realm.

"Well now, where's some food. I'm starving." Axel said as his stomach growled.

"Who is he?" Kezqua came up behind Axel and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Name's Axel, got i..." He was cut off my Kezqua putting him straight up against his fang filled face.

"Finish that sentence and I'll make sure your dinner is burned..." Kezqua growled as he sat the human down. "Ma-ti, show your new friends to some more rooms..." He began to grumble as he stomped off. "And tell your damn monkey to stop messing up my room!"

"Less than a day old and it's like it never changed." Althea smiled.

"I think I need new pants." Axel whimpered.


	11. Tilgihx

**InterLUDE: A Quest of Rings**

**By THE Xenomorph**

**Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.**

**DigitalMan and K2** **are © My close friend.**

**Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.**

**Universe: Spliced-Verse**

_**Tilgihx**_

"Dr... Blight..." Mal shook, his robotic body quivering with anger. "What did they do to you?" He replayed the images in his robotic mind over and over. His robotic mind waning back and forth on logic and this new impulse he felt. He could not explain it, he could only act on it, though Blight had told him many time how anger had felt he had never actually experienced it, but now, his emotions... Emotions. The thought occurred to him, she had upgraded him to experience new things and at first he thought it only meant phyiscal pleasure for the two of them, but now, now he knew why she had upgraded him. They were lovers and the Planeteers had driven her to her own destruction. His hate could know no limit.

"I'll destroy them Doctor, I'll avenge you my love..." Mal stood up in the darkness and placed the warped ring on his metallic finger. "But first I must upgrade myself even further. A visit to the Predacons should suffice." He aimed the ring into the darkness. "Open." The darkness opened to reveal a desert and Mal walked out with a wicked and twisted smile on his face. He had been longing to test out his combat upgrade on the Predacons and now was his chance.

88888888

In the darkness four forms floated unconscious as if in water. The tall form of Xemnas floated by them as did a more feminine form. She was every part a mirror of Dr. Blight, right down to the hair and facial scars which were "flipped" from right to left. He normal pink body suit was replaced by a long white lab coat and she wore horn rimmed glasses.

"Tilgihx, are you sure they will make powerful Heartless?" Xemnas asked.

"Yes..." Tilgihx, Dr. Blight's Nobody smiled, though she had no true emotion. "Greedly will also make a good addition to the XIII if you let him."

"You are still to few..." Xemnas said as his body was covered in a pitch blackness. "My master desires you grow in power." Several heartless approached Greedly's body and removed the dimly glowing heart with ease. Greedly's large body contorted and distorted in front of them and soon became a large monstrous beast that resembles a minotaur with a pig's head.

To Tilgihx's left a thinner more toned Greedly formed. He rose with little confusion and bowed before his superiors.

You shall be..." Xemnas spoke. "Reedglyx."

"My lord, my lady." Reedglyx spoke in a deep voice. "Shall I seek others?"

"We need eleven more." Tilgihx said calmly. "Find them. Seek out the strongest willed of the light's enemies and bring them here."

"And them?" Reedglyx asked, pointing to his former allies.

"We will decide when the time is right." Xemnas spoke softly. "My master expects results soon, but do not rush yourselves into failure."

"Of course my lord." Tilgihx bowed as Xemnas faded. "Our first candidate shall be one Destro from COBRA. Failing him..."

88888888888

Captain Planet scoured the Astral Plane frantically searching for any sign of his opposing force, but found nothing. Soon he found himself wandering towards Xavier's mind for help and comfort. He soon found himself in an astral representation of Xavier's office.

"You're worried about him." Xavier said.

"He's..." Planet groaned. "Well, I guess he is my brother, sort of. But his Darkness... he's Pollution at his worst."

"He is what this world will be if we fail." Xavier said. "But what is really bothering you?"

Planet sighed and toke some time to gather his words. "I am meant to protect the earth, Pollution was made to pollute the earth. But we don't know Darkness' purpose."

"I think it's safe to assume he's here to steal it's heart." Xavier said.

"Then we are going to need a whole lot more firepower." Planet said, "Because up until I used Kezqua's spirit, he was toying with us."

The two sat and thought.

88888888888888

In a world that should never have heard Perfection's plea for help a lone starship cruised out to a white spacial horizon.

"Willy my boy if this works..." A four armed duck chuckled. "We won't be dead that's for sure."

"Deadeye, we need to be confident." A small boy in an overly large suit said. "Or else our help will count for nothing."

"Captain..." Deadeye duck spoke into a communicator. "Let's give this thing a shot shall we?"

"All right everbody." Captain Bucky O'Hare spoke over the comm. "We're about to take the _Indignation_ into another universe entirely. I don't know what we're going up against, but if that world needs help..." Bucky thought back to the end of the Toad Wars, the horrible condemnation the Aniverse suffered under toad rule and how he had failed utterly and barely escaped. "We owe it to them to help if only to atone for our failure here. We won't let another universe fall to evil." He looked down to his navigator and smiled. "Jenny, plot a course for another universe..."

88888888888888

"Do you feel it Ambrose..." Therten's mind reached out to Perfection. "I'm getting closer..."

Perfection clutched his head in pain inside his section of the verge and the earth in it shook and rattled violently.

"I will have all you hold precious..." Therten's voice echoed darkly.

"You keep assuming that..." Perfection smiled back at the empty void in his mind. "But last time was fluke..."

"I know..." Therten smiled.

"But now they have more power to fight you in more ways than you can imagine." Perfection smiled. "They don't need us to fight for them, they have their own strengths that they can all pull together and use."

"Then if this shall fail I shall claim the world with wither of the planet eaters..." Therten cackled.

"Either?" Perfection felt Therten leave his mind. "He can't be, only the Maximals..." Perfection willed into existence a mirror of air. "Show me Unicron world 3458690." The mirror shimmered and flashed to the massive orange robotic planet moving through space. "Contact Galactus world 3458690. Alert him to the threat." The mirror chimed. "Confirm Autobot prescience." The mirror stayed on Unicron. "Great... without Prime, not much stand in that things way..."

Perfection flopped back down onto a couch that fabricated from nowhere.

"Don't worry to much." Astral said as he wandered into Perfection's verge. "That's what you always tell me."

"Astral..." Perfection did not look happy. "This is all _my _fault."

"Can't argue with you there." Astral said. "Now how do you deal with it?"

"Grah!" Perfection roared in aggravation. "Responsibility sucks..."

"Well look who's finally growing up." Astral said darkly.

Perfection only glared at him before a giant buck dropped ooze onto Astral. Perfection burst out laughing.

"... hate you so much..." Astral grumbled as he tried to light a cigarette.

**88888888**

**AN: End of this interLUEDE. **

**Assuming the anon review is RougeFan...**

**It's the Gargoyles Puck. I couldn't help myself...**

**Ahhh the next one is for the Turtles calling it "Paths of the Warriors". Shorter and much more interesting than the previous title. **

**Toad: How'd I get here?**

**OO**

**Perfection?**

**Perfection: Don't look at me it's your mind...**

**Um... well get to that later then. After some more EQ II**

**Wraith: GEEEEK! ADDICT!**

**Why yes I am!**

**Wraith: At least you haven't made a version of me on that game yet.**

**Can't using Entrophisis.**

**Wraith: Why are you mentioning... he's gonna be in the next story, right?**

**Yup.**

**Wraith: Oh lovely a Vampire Moogle from Oblivion...**

**Entrophisis: I'm already here you fool.**

**Wraith/Points to self\ DEATH!**

**Entrophisis/ignites a large fireball and points to himself\ Undead.**

**Wraith: I'm still more evil than you are.**

**Entrophisis: I kill puppies.**

**Wraith: ... You win.**

**Entrophisis: Good, I expect you to behave when I show up in the next story.**

**Wraith: Bite me you bobble headed rat.**

**Toad: Why am I here?**

**We don't know Toad... we don't know.**


End file.
